RECAP: Ottawa defeats Bishop’s in dramatic consolation semifinal

Fresh from an emotional loss in the U SPORTS quarterfinal, the Gee-Gees men's basketball team used late-game heroics to defeat the Bishop's Gaiters 77-75 on Saturday evening.

The Gaiters led throughout the majority of the game, but the Gee-Gees rallied in the third quarter to take a slim 59-57 lead into the final frame. Sprung by timely scoring from Thomas Chilton, Ottawa survived a handful of runs from Bishop's throughout the late stages of the game.

The teams traded leads in the final two minutes of the game, with Bishop's converting a layup with 43 seconds left on the clock. On the ensuing possession, Ottawa missed a layup, giving the Gaiters a chance to seal the game by extending their one-point lead. A miss led to the ball coming out to Kevin Civil, who pushed down the floor and delivered an over-the-head pass to Guillaume Pépin, who knocked down the game winning three-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining.

With the win, Ottawa will advance to play Alberta in the consolation final on Sunday, a chance to close the season on consecutive wins.

"It felt so good," said Pépin of hitting the final shot. "Obviously it's not where we wanted to be, but a win is a win and we're still trying to play for fifth place. We're happy to still play another game as a team and as a family."

In all, four players finished in double-figures for the Gee-Gees, led by Pépin and Calvin Epistola with 15. Epistola added six rebounds and six assists, while Pépin added four rebounds and two steals. Civil and Chilton chipped in 10 points each in the win.

"It's going to be Sean and I's last game with this special group. Playing for each other, the coaching staff, the school and the city will be important," said Epistola.

Tip-off on the consolation final is set for 1 p.m. at the Ravens' Nest. The game will be available to stream live in English on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Gem App, and in French on USPORTS.live. Tickets are available on the TD Place website.